Our letter to the County on Stop Signs at Schools

The Honorable Paul Ferguson
Chairman, Arlington County Board
2100 Clarendon Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201

Dear Chairman:

As a result of our recent experience developing traffic calming methods appropriate to streets serving Barcroft Elementary School, the Barcroft School and Civic League voted at its March meeting to ask the County to develop a stop sign warrant for school zones. Safety for the children on their way to and from school is our primary concern. We found some of the tools in the traffic calming "kit" (notably traffic circles) inappropriate for -- and possibly dangerous to -- small children. School crossing guards were particularly apprehensive about the circles, and a group of neighbors feels strongly that a warranted stop sign should be included in the traffic calming kit for school zones. We thank you in advance for considering development of new school zone stop sign warrants.

Sincerely, <


Pat Williamson Edwards
President, Barcroft School and Civic League

And the response from County Board Chairman Paul Ferguson.

Thank you for the Barcroft School and Civic League's (BSCL) suggestion to consider developing separate stop sign warrants in school zones. I think we all agree on the importance of the safety of our children. I also support changes in the warrants for four-way stops to allow more of these throughout the community.

Attached is the report I received from the County Manager. As you may know, the multi-way stop signs as well as raised crosswalks have been approved for the intersection of South Wakefield Street and 8th Street South near Barcroft Elementary School. I am glad the signs could be approved under the current warrants, which already consider pedestrians.

I agree that more can be done to ensure pedestrian safety. At the Board's direction, staff is again reviewing the warrants to determine whether changes would be recommended to further enhance safety in the community. This review includes the effectiveness of the revised standards approved by the Board in the past for multi-way stops. Special attention will be given to areas within school zones. Once the County Manager has made a recommendation to the Board, we will share that information with the public for review and comment. I look forward to receiving the comments of the BSCL in the future.

I appreciate the work of the BSCL to keep our children safe. If I can be of assistance in the future, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,


Paul Ferguson
Chairman
Arlington County Board

This page was revised on: July 28, 2004.